[nananan]

I'd like to ask 
Between these two, which one gives a better vocal sound?
W40 seems to focus more on vocal, while Um pro50 seems to focus more on drums...guitar...
However, as the price of pro50 is set to be around $130 more than W40 in my country.
So I guess, it might have equal level for vocal as W40 as well?
 
Any suggestion? Thanks!

 

[majedelamine]

Hello there, i own both 4R (the same as W40 with different cables and stuff), and the Um Pro 50. These are 2 different sound signatures, and my technical guess is that although one has 4 BAs and one has 5, the BAs are 2 different types of BAs. I am sure the the low freq BA used on the UM pro is different and bigger than the W series. Going back to your question, the W series is made to reproduce studio recordings better than the Um pro. But this only means that you dont get any standout performance on a certain frequency band, W series tries to stay balanced accross the spectrum, but ofcourse with a certain signature. The um pro series is more courageous to standout on certain freq bands. The UM pro in general standsout in drums and bass. However thr um pro 50 in particular stands out at all levels. It can safely say that voices are amazing on them. The W40 is safely the best listening experience for the masses of people. Um pro 50 is stranger sounding, but it takes courage to love it. I for one in love of its full drums slam, and dare to say its the best in ear to give the complete slam sound of drums. But also i love how voices sound. They are forward and intimate. They feel like the singer is singing on stage with you, not off a record. Guitars are amazing on all westone products. Their engineers live rock music and its always present in their tunings

 

[nananan]

@majedelamine Thanks a lot! So, these two give a different style much enough to own both right?

 

[majedelamine]

@majedelamine Thanks a lot! So, these two give a different style much enough to own both right?

If you had westones before, yes i advise you to get both, both are impressive and different styles of sound end result. However if you are new to Westone, my advice is to go with the W40 first. It will not let you down. And it will not be redundant if you loved westone so much that you wanna by the um pro 50.

 

[nananan]

Yes. I've always owned Westone, but only um series. But now, I'm getting interest in W series as I heard that it gives a softer sound for long listening. 
Have you ever tried W30? Is there much difference comparing to W40 in term of vocal? I just want the one that emphasize on vocal and gives just a little bass.

 

[majedelamine]

I don't, but i have listen a lot to it at a friend several times. I didnt feel its different from W4R, except its soundstage is so narrow in comparison. Soundstage is somethink i really care for. I love the w4 for that.

 

[Spyro]

W40 will be better for vocals because it provides more air and transparency. The UM-series center focus of drums and percussion can be a bit dominant and a distraction to other things going on in the music.

 

[nananan]

Hey! I got um pro50 now. it's perfect for my rock playlist like Rammstein, Megadeth, Muse... but W40 is great for vocal and long listening...

 

[Shunz]

Hi folks!
 
How's the soundstage and warmth for the UM Pro 50?
 
I listened to the Pro 50s for a while, and they doesn't seem sound too "inside-your-head" as much as what the UM3x was known for. Are they not too far away from the wide expansive soundstage of the Westone W40/4R, I hope?
 
The review here http://cymbacavum.com/2014/03/11/rapid-reaction-westone-um-pro-50-like-a-warm-radiator/ seem to suggest a lot of warmth. How does the Pro 50 compare to the 4R?
 
I've been happily using the Westone 4 for almost 3 years until the drivers died on me; and I do now crave a bit of extra bass for the music I listen a lot to - electronic, downtempo, and soundtracks.
 
Just hope to get a bit more opinions from you guys who have been listening to them for a while, versus that 20-30 minutes or so of auditioning them in the store.
 
Thanks!

 

[cardozo]

I have a UM3X for about four years and think this is the perfect headphone, almost made ​​especially for me... 

 
How does it compare with UM Pro 50?
 
Cheers,
 
Peter

 

[majedelamine]

  Hi folks!
 
How's the soundstage and warmth for the UM Pro 50?
 
I listened to the Pro 50s for a while, and they doesn't seem sound too "inside-your-head" as much as what the UM3x was known for. Are they not too far away from the wide expansive soundstage of the Westone W40/4R, I hope?
 
The review here http://cymbacavum.com/2014/03/11/rapid-reaction-westone-um-pro-50-like-a-warm-radiator/ seem to suggest a lot of warmth. How does the Pro 50 compare to the 4R?
 
I've been happily using the Westone 4 for almost 3 years until the drivers died on me; and I do now crave a bit of extra bass for the music I listen a lot to - electronic, downtempo, and soundtracks.
 
Just hope to get a bit more opinions from you guys who have been listening to them for a while, versus that 20-30 minutes or so of auditioning them in the store.
 
Thanks!

 
The Pro 50 has more soundstage than Pro 30, and less than the 4R. It has a lots of warmth, strangely reminding me of HD650. The bass slam is amazing, much more punchy than any bass. I listen to real drums beats as opposed to synthsized and I can tell you they sound so real and strong. The highs are more available than the Pro 30. the balance of 4R will be missed in the Pro 50. Pro 50 is clearer sounding, but very warm and is quickly affected by your choice of tips. the star tips seemed warmer than the foam ones.

 

[otoro]

It's interesting that you post this question as it's the exact dilemma I'm going through.
 
Prior to Listening Test...my rationale for pitting the two against one another.
 
W40
- Flexibility/Practicality. It comes with two set cables including one for smartphone. Since iPhone 5s is my primary listening device, the W40 gives me the flexibility to take/make call without the awkward process.
- 4R sound. It's more or less a repackaged 4R (based on a lot of write-up) in a nicer/more streamline body (and new cable-connector)
- Price. It's around $160-170 cheaper than the UM Pro50
 
 
UM Pro50
- The Pro line including this one is Made in the U.S.A....and that means a lot to me. 
- ES5 sound. My understanding is that a lot of circuitry came from the much acclaimed ES5...so you basically get the ES5 sound minus the customisation (which means around 20-30% less?)
- Less Practical. I need spent additional money to buy smartphone cable...on top of...
- Price. At around $700 USD where I live, we are taking CIEM territory here....and this before adding smartphone cable
 
After listening...
I'm not the most technical guy so my write-up will not have a lot of jargon. I listen mainly to rock, pop, electronic, dance, R&B, hip-hop.
 
Admittedly, I was hoping that the W40 will be close enough to the Pro50 to make my decision easier...go for the W40 saving $200++ (probably closer to 250).
 
Sadly, this is not the case. Maybe it's just me but I think that the Pro50 stood way above the W40. 
 
- Details. Pro50 has gobs of detail. I can clearly hear each instrument and track. In contrast, the W40 seems more muddied. 
- Bass. I'm not a bass head as I was many years back. However, the Pro50 has surprisingly full-bodied bass...more than most monitor IEM has the right to be. However, it's never overpowering. Just the right balance.
- Percussion/Cymbal. Astounding! The shop owner had me listen to his percussion centric track, and the way the Pro50 treats cymbal and percussion is just otherworldly. They sounded powerful and natural.
- High. Crystal clear to the point of being nearly painful at times (for the vocal that can hit that high note). But the Pro50 never falters.
- Comfort. For me and my ear shape, Westone is one of the most comfortable universal IEM I'd ever worn. And I think the Pro50 took it to another level of comfort for me. Next best fit to CIEM, IMHO.
- Musicality. All this means that I get more musicality out of the Pro50 than the W40.
- Enjoyment. The bottom-line is that I just enjoy listening and rediscovering the music again when I listen to the Pro50. I sat there testing it out...spending over 45 minutes on the Pro50...completely engrossed...and feeling zero fatigue!
 
So, it looks like if it comes down to this two, I would have to fork up the extra money. But I know that I'll have zero regret (with perhaps the exception of not saving more money to get the ES5

 

[michaelfong]

  It's interesting that you post this question as it's the exact dilemma I'm going through.
 
Prior to Listening Test...my rationale for pitting the two against one another.
 
W40
- Flexibility/Practicality. It comes with two set cables including one for smartphone. Since iPhone 5s is my primary listening device, the W40 gives me the flexibility to take/make call without the awkward process.
- 4R sound. It's more or less a repackaged 4R (based on a lot of write-up) in a nicer/more streamline body (and new cable-connector)
- Price. It's around $160-170 cheaper than the UM Pro50
 
 
UM Pro50
- The Pro line including this one is Made in the U.S.A....and that means a lot to me. 
- ES5 sound. My understanding is that a lot of circuitry came from the much acclaimed ES5...so you basically get the ES5 sound minus the customisation (which means around 20-30% less?)
- Less Practical. I need spent additional money to buy smartphone cable...on top of...
- Price. At around $700 USD where I live, we are taking CIEM territory here....and this before adding smartphone cable
 
After listening...
I'm not the most technical guy so my write-up will not have a lot of jargon. I listen mainly to rock, pop, electronic, dance, R&B, hip-hop.
 
Admittedly, I was hoping that the W40 will be close enough to the Pro50 to make my decision easier...go for the W40 saving $200++ (probably closer to 250).
 
Sadly, this is not the case. Maybe it's just me but I think that the Pro50 stood way above the W40. 
 
- Details. Pro50 has gobs of detail. I can clearly hear each instrument and track. In contrast, the W40 seems more muddied. 
- Bass. I'm not a bass head as I was many years back. However, the Pro50 has surprisingly full-bodied bass...more than most monitor IEM has the right to be. However, it's never overpowering. Just the right balance.
- Percussion/Cymbal. Astounding! The shop owner had me listen to his percussion centric track, and the way the Pro50 treats cymbal and percussion is just otherworldly. They sounded powerful and natural.
- High. Crystal clear to the point of being nearly painful at times (for the vocal that can hit that high note). But the Pro50 never falters.
- Comfort. For me and my ear shape, Westone is one of the most comfortable universal IEM I'd ever worn. And I think the Pro50 took it to another level of comfort for me. Next best fit to CIEM, IMHO.
- Musicality. All this means that I get more musicality out of the Pro50 than the W40.
- Enjoyment. The bottom-line is that I just enjoy listening and rediscovering the music again when I listen to the Pro50. I sat there testing it out...spending over 45 minutes on the Pro50...completely engrossed...and feeling zero fatigue!
 
So, it looks like if it comes down to this two, I would have to fork up the extra money. But I know that I'll have zero regret (with perhaps the exception of not saving more money to get the ES5

Basically, I have the same feeling on Pro 50.
So, I am very surprised that so many ppl here are criticizing the um pro 50.
Are they different um pro 50 from mine? Or, something wrong with my ear?

 

[majedelamine]

Basically, I have the same feeling on Pro 50.
So, I am very surprised that so many ppl here are criticizing the um pro 50.
Are they different um pro 50 from mine? Or, something wrong with my ear?:blink:

There is nothing wrong. The UM pro 50 is amazing all across, except for one issue. I have just finished auditioning the roxanne, the 2plus1 and the fit ear and I had my um pro 50 with me to A/B. Forgetting about my anger from build quality, sound wise the Um pro 50 stands high amongst the best, only if you equalize the mid bass hump it has. With reducing the mid bass level on my fiio x5, the um pro beats all except the 2plus1 (sound wise), comes in par with it and slightly better than roxannes, yes!! But if i remove the EQ, the the bloat affects the whole range. So if you are a person listening to music with less emphasis on mid bass, or your ears are less sensitive to it, then you will exprience and amazing sound signature from the um pro, otherwise the 50s will feel muddy until the EQ saves the day

 

[michaelfong]

There is nothing wrong. The UM pro 50 is amazing all across, except for one issue. I have just finished auditioning the roxanne, the 2plus1 and the fit ear and I had my um pro 50 with me to A/B. Forgetting about my anger from build quality, sound wise the Um pro 50 stands high amongst the best, only if you equalize the mid bass hump it has. With reducing the mid bass level on my fiio x5, the um pro beats all except the 2plus1 (sound wise), comes in par with it and slightly better than roxannes, yes!! But if i remove the EQ, the the bloat affects the whole range. So if you are a person listening to music with less emphasis on mid bass, or your ears are less sensitive to it, then you will exprience and amazing sound signature from the um pro, otherwise the 50s will feel muddy until the EQ saves the day

Understood what you were saying. The phenomenon you described seems more obvious on the W50.
Did you try to use other ear tips? I am using the comply T100, and quite satisfy with them.